Counter



m m m w w m o l T 2 A M @I WM d W L O M v/hovoou\k2/a/ooooa\kY/oo.il A .d w. 27. H- l 4 o o o o o ...n f R m mv. m f nl 0 0 5 C J M. 26 u.. D m L O@ c m w TM@ O@ d m1|1|| Y .a O@ o Patented Nov. '5,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Conn.,

assignors to The Engineering and Research Corporation, New Haven,

Conn., a corf poration of Connecticut Application July 16, 1930, Serial No. 468,378

3Claims.

This invention relates to a counting and registering device embodying functionally and structurally improved characteristics.

It is an object of 'the invention to provide an I apparatus of this character which may be advantageously employed in numerous different associations but which will-be of primary utility in connection with registering the ilow of trame.

In making studies of tralc conditions at street intersections or along highways, it is frequently necessary to know the total delay in some sort of a unit; for example, car minutes. 'This ligure is desirable because if the total flow of traillc is known, the average delay per car can be deter.

mined. Heretofore no simple and convenient mechanism for performing this measurement has been provided. By the present invention, an apparatus is furnished by means of which anyone desiring to achieve such measurements will be able to accomplish the same in an extremely simplelmanner, the present invention registering for example the time each car has been waiting, and discriminating between necessary or unnecessary waiting time.

v A still further object of the invention is that of providing a mechanism embodying a relatively simple and rugged construction embracing few parts which will cooperate efficiently over long periods of time with freedom from and electrical difficulties.

With these and further objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawingillustrating one practical embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig; 1 is a perspective view of one unit of the mechanism;

Fig, 2 is a diagrammatic view of such unit and showing the circuit employed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus.

a mechanical mounted on shaft II. motor I2 through gear I3, so that the drum revolves at uniform speed;- for example, 10 R. P. M. The drum is of conducting material and is connected to olneside of `a. source of current supply I4, through wire I5 and slip ring I6. Mounted on the surface of drum Il! are a series of cunducting projecting pins I1. It will furthermore be noticed thatpins I1 are arranged in a `series of`parallel circles. Mounted in front of each group of pins are contact springs I3. 'I'hese are spaced from the surface of the drum Ill but have V-shaped projections i9 extending into the path of travel oi' the pins I1. Whenever such contact Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a drum I0 The shaft is driven by aoccurs, the springs I3 are energized through wire I5, ring I6, drum I3, pins I1 and projection I3.

Referring now toFig. 2', there is shown at 23 the developed surface of the drum II). The several small circle:` 2i represent the pins I1. 22 to 6 21 inclusive represent the several springs Il. It will be noticed in the embodiment illustrated that there is only one pin-which makes contact with spring 22; two pins which make contact with spring 23; two' that may make contact with spring l0 24; five thatl make contact with spring 25; ten that make contact -with spring l26; and twenty that make contact with spring 21. It will furthermore be noticed that for a purpose hereinafter specified, the pins or spring arms are so placed l5 that only-one pin at a time can be making contact with the arm in its path. Assuming now that the drum is rotating, it will be appreciated that spring 22 is energized once per revolution; spring 23', twice per revolution; spring 25 five 20 times per revolution; etc.

. The entire mechanism may be housed in a box as shown in Fig. 3. 0n the top surface of this box are a series Iof push buttons labelled (I) through (5) and, in addition, one push button 26 labelled (III) and one labelled These buttons make contact as shown by the wiring diagram in Fig.l 2. If, for example, button I is pushed, contact 23 will be closed and thus once per revolution oi' the drum, current will flow from 80 the current source I4 through wire I5, brush It, drum Ill, arm 22, contact 23, wire 29, wire 30, counter 3|, and wire 32 .back to the supply. Counter 3| is a so-calied electrically operated counter and the number which is registered on its dial is increased by one every time the counter is energized. Thus, itis apparent, as soon as button I is held depressed, the registration of the counter will be increased by one for every revolution of the drum, or, since the drum revolves at a 0 speed of 10 R. P. M., the registration will be increased by 10 per minute. Similarly, if button 2 is depressed, contact 33 is closed and counter 3| will be energized twice per revolution. I f button 3 is depressed, contacts' 34 and 35 are 45 closed simultaneously and the impulses of both arms Z2 and 23 are applied to the counter which will be, of course, three per revolution. This indicates the necessity of having the pins or arms spaced so that no two will make contact with their respective springs at the same time, because then only a single'impulse would be registered. If button 4 is depressed, contacts 36 and 31 are closed and four impulses per revolution will be registered. If button 5 is depressed, conl5 tact 38 is closed and ve impulses per revolution will be registered. The process is similar for the other buttons. In order to register, for example, I2, button 2 and button IU are held depressed simultaneously. In this way, button 2 will register twice per revolution and button I ten times, giving a total of twelve.

In using the device, the operator would station himself in such a position that he would have a clear view of the intersection and would then watch approaching trafiic. Assuming, for example, that the intersection is controlled by the so-called fixed-time light which gives right-ofway to one street for a certain period and then right-of-way to another street for a certain period, it' is apparent that if a car approaches on a street not having right-ofway, it will be forced to stop. As soon as the car has stopped, the operator of the counter meter would push button I holding it depressed, and the device would begin to register tenths of car minutes until the waiting vehicle proceeds. If, in the meantime, however, a second vehicle has approached and is also forced to stop, the operator would release button I and depress button 2 and the units of waiting time would be registered twice as fast, Similarly, if a third car approaches, button 3 would be depressed, etc. 'Ihe particular machine described would register a limited number of cars, but, of

course, by providing additional buttons, this could be extended indenitely, The waiting time would then register on counter 3l.

It is sometimes desirable to distinguish between so-called necessary time and unnecessary waiting time. This would be accomplished by providing a second counter 39, and 'by providing a switch 4D, so that either counter may be connected in circuit. Necessary waiting time occurs if vehicles are forced to wait because trailic is moving in the other street. Unnecessary waiting time occurs if vehicles are forced to wait even though there is no trame in the other street. In this v'ay, by simply moving switch 40 into the proper position, necessarywaiting time may be registered on one of the counters, or unnecessary waiting time on the other.

Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention afore referred to have been achieved. It will moreover be understood that numerous changes in construction and rearrangements of the parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A counter comprising, in combination, an electrically operated indexable registering means,

a rotatable drum, a timing motor driving said 5 drum at a substantially constant pre-determined speed, rows of contact studs on the surface of said drum and arranged in parallel circles substantially perpendicular to the axis of said dr-um. said rows having various numbers of contact studs, contacts for engaging each row of contact studs on said drum, and an operating circuit for said registering means including means for selectively including one or more of said contacts in said operating circuit to cause operation of said regisl5 tering means as said drum rotates.

2. A counter comprising, in combination, an electrically operated indexable register, a. rotatable drum, a timing motor driving said drum, at a substantially constant pre-determined speed, groups of contact studs on the surface of said drum, each group arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said drum and spaced axially from the other groups, all but two of said groups having different numbers of contact studs, contact means cooperating with each group of studs to Contact said studs, and an electrical operating circuit for said register including means for selectively including one or more of said contact means` in said operating circuit to cause operation of said register as said drum rotates.

3. A counter including in combination, registering means, a rotatable drum, a motor for driving said drum at a predetermined speed, groups of contact; elements on the surface of said drum and 35 arranged in rows in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said drum, certain of said rows including elements of a greater or lesser number than adjacent rows, means for connecting said drum contact elements to a source of elec- 10 trical current supply, contact means for engaging each row of said contact elements, and an operating circuit for said registering means and including means for selectively including one or more of said contact means in said operating circuit to cause operation of said registering means as said drum rotates, said contact elements being so spaced in each of the several rowsthat only one element engages said contact means at a time as said drum rotates.

CHARLES D. GEER. DAVID L. BACON. 

